Self Critique for Line Study Posters

1)Both the image (a bench) and line study have this organic flowing curve (see the first iteration for the best example).  The study was also broken up and seemed to appear as a grid that was in a wave.  This gridded study matched the weaving that occurs in the bench.  I then went on to weave the line study in and out of the bench to complement the pattern already in the bench.

2)The photo loses its context in the bottom two studies.  The second iteration could come off as an upward look toward some skylines while the third iteration loses the bench through the spiral made. I plan on trying to add other visual elements to the composition to create a contextualization and properly inform the viewer that it is a bench.

3)All need to be vectorized and smoothed out.  They are very rigid and rough.

4)The typeface chosen has smooth curves and an organic feel which reflects the curves well. The text is also weaved into the composition like the line study to compliment the bench.  In the second study the text placement is a little distracting and doesn't really reflect the study well.

5)The first composition sits in a corner to create a relaxed feel, and the line study integrates with the picture through the use of alignment and continuation.  The framing of the second study is what gives the  skyline feel and scale is used in the final study to create a large distance between the foreground and the background.

6)The bench and smooth flowing curve both give a relaxed feel which is a major concept in the 

West Port scene.

Only two here because the third image won't upload.

1)The gridded structure of the West Port roads was complimented by this angular and simple line study.  In some places of the study a gridded and consistent horizontal and vertical composition is interrupted by some lines extending away from the grid.  It was these squares and lines coming off the standard grid the reminded me of this map and West Port in general.  West Port is askew with the rest of Kansas City and sits at an angle to the rest of the KC road system. Some better alignments could be established to make a better reference and a clean up in craft will help as well.

2)The photo is a little blurred, pixelated, and the contrast isn't great.  The map that I took the picture of doesn't help either because it is pixelated and really bad too.  However, since I'm looking for just the grid of the area and the shapes that are made I was able to put a filter on the picture to smooth out the edges. I still want to play with the contrast though and see what can be done.

3)Some craft should be addressed to better establish the relations between the streets and the lines.

4)The typeface was chosen to express the simple and square grid that is present.  However, I think that all capitals will help reinforce this idea better.

5)alignment and continuation are used to establish the connections between the roads and the lines both in positioning and in size.

6)Since West Port is at an angle to KC, this concept used in the poster design really reflects it well.  The angles are complimented through the dark bold blacks.  If the angles and cockeyed West Port was unnoticed then the black forms should point it out.

1)The strength in these ideas comes from the rows of bricks and their correlation to the random rows of white in the line study.  This particular brick formation is broken up which is complimented by the randomness in the line study.  I believe the final study works the best.  The line study can sit behind the bricks and through this has a better attachment to the bricks.  The first two feel slapped together and sloppy.  The line study just sits on top of the bricks and doesn't really integrate. In the final study it seems like this line study is hiding behind the bricks and the bricks are being removed to reveal the study behind.

2)The photograph is easily read as bricks and the different size of these brick fragments correlate to the different sizes of white rectangles in the line study

3)The quality and craft is pretty good in these and should really just be refined to create better alignments and correlations.

4)This typeface is heavy, solid, sturdy, and the slab serif directly compares to the bricks.  I want to find better ways to integrate the type however. The type also, like the first two studies in general, feels tacked on and just thrown on top.

5)In the final study the framing that occurs within the bricks is what I find really appealing and an attempt at an alignment was made to line the bricks with the line studies in all compositions.  This alignment idea will need to be refined and worked with

6)The bricks give an antique feel to West Port.  The bricks remind me of a time when travelers were heading out West in wagon trains.  Old cobbled stone roads and horses.  Prospecting for a better future and what have you.  Nostalgic to the max.  And the type helps establish this feel too.  I think I've seen it used on a salon in a western movie or something similar.

Blog Mod

here's the little somethin I put together for my blog.  Orange and Brown color palette to go with the season and upcoming Halloween holiday, plus I just like orange and brown.  The background I based on perpetual motion and energy.  Essentially, all things come around and all forces are self driven.

Juxtapositions that Are Not Planned

One thing I can safely say I effectively learned from Hugh Merrill is the ability to stop and look at coincidences between imagery.  Laura Fields talks about how she began to notice the juxtapositions at one point.  They weren't always obvious at first.  I learned this in Hugh's class.  The eye must be trained to notice some of these coincidental juxtapositions.  Since being in Hugh's class, and being at art school, my eye has slowly developed the ability to notice correlations between imagery.  The ability to do this becomes a subconscious thing.  Something that one had to think about and search for at one time can become something natural and obvious.  Learning to make and see these connections, I have learned, is a way to improve one's visual language.  Making these connections can help motivate one into the next project.  It's a good way to step back from what is visually obvious and see a greater, even if unintentional, meaning.

Bitmap Display

My item was a bent and modified paper clip.  It was a very light weight and delicate item to position but the negative space created between paper clips is a nice enough outcome to counter to numerous repositioning.    The thinness of each unit reinforces the light weight of the actual object  and the overall image takes on a gray appearance.

My Type Element

The element I have been given for Typography is Iron/Fe. Atomic number 26

Reading About the Lines

Dealing with these lines and planes has been an interesting experience.  In high school I was really into geometry and mathematics (and still am somewhat) so when reading this segment on lines and planes I found something I could really relate to and tie to a non-art world (even though math exists in everything, even art).  Since I have strong abilities and interests in science and math, I like to find relations between these two fields of study and the field of art, primarily visual and fine art.  Dimensionality is another aspect I really took to with these line studies and the reading.  There are an infinite number of dimension possibilities in reality, all of which provide a new aesthetic and point of view on a situation, image, or environment.  Understanding all dimensions and all points of view of something can really open an all new perspective on one's understanding.  Dimensions, to simply put it, just create some amazing movement.  Dimensionality really allows a viewer to look at something and believe that there is a distance or closeness between the viewer and object.  It pulls the viewer in and immerses him in the visual field that has been created.  The viewer can feel like they are a part of the environment created.

Line and Share

Here I have posted three different examples of design using lines.  The chart of rapper names is strictly informational, the book page is imagery overlapping text to emphasize segments and meanings in the text, and the image of the spider with some other lines doesn't have a known meaning.  The poster and book page both cam from ffffound.com.  The other picture comes from a far different source and might be considered a little unorthodox.

The poster is pretty much a flow chart of rapper names.  It reminds me of the mind maps we did in viscom.  There are six sections that the names are divided into and these are shown with their own color of lines on the poster.  These lines then criss cross and span the page to establish connections in rapper names between each of the categories.  These lines create a really smooth gradation in the poster and make it more than just informational.  Yet the poster doesn't ever lose its readability.  I was able to properly find every member of the Wu Tang Clan (except Inpectah Deck) based on their names and the  categories presented.  It took a little searching but I was able to find eight of them without any real hassle.

I find the book page really interesting because it reminds me a lot of transparencies we used in our books for viscom and type.  I don't know if the page shown is actually a transparency of images on top of a page of text or if maybe someone doodled in a book, or even if the book was printed this way.  Any which way it is the page is very clever in my opinion by leaving the open "windows" for the text to show through.

The final image is easily the oldest.  I still feel like it's a really good example of lines, design , and craft though even if it might not be a typical concept of graphic design.  There are many of these compositions in the Nazca valleys in Peru.  They were crafted by Native Americans as long ago as the 1920s.  This was just when they were discovered though due to airplane travel.  These structures are enormous and some span several miles.  They couldn't have been seen from anywhere other than above so it's possible that they've existed longer.  The purpose for these aren't known but I suspect they were used to communicate with the gods of whatever people crafted them.  There size is what makes them so impressive.  They literally span miles and when seen from above these lines seem perfectly straight.  How could these people have hand crafted these massive mounds for miles AND keep them straight?  Religious devotion.

Color Schemes

Most of my color schemes ended up being analogous.  Could mean I relate a particular color to each situation more than other colors.  Or at least a warmth or coolness is associated with the words.

Color Palette Brought to You by Heart On

For Color, Form, Production I chose an image to do a color study with.  I made two color palettes using the colors in the image.  One color palette for RGB and one for PMS.  The image I pulled these colors from was a photograph I took of the album case and artwork for Heart On by the Eagles of Death Metal.  The whole album scheme was a deep and clean red which goes along with the whole idea for the album.

Color Star and Me...and RGB, HEX, and PMS

Round two with the color star. I ran into the same snare.  The red orange messed with me again.  When I went into the pantone selection both red and red orange came out as the same pantone, but they were definitely different colors on my star.  Nevertheless, a different and more suitable red orange was chosen and the rest was straight forward.

Nature's Factory: Physics

Gravity

An alignment is created in the gravity composition between three different objects.  All three objects are related to falling and, therefore, gravity.  The alignment was established to create a movement in each set of dots.  Each compound shape formed by the falling dots starts small at the top and increases in size until they rest on the image of Earth.  The compound shape undergoes repetition to establish a better sense of falling.  Three objects says this more clearly than one would.  A symmetry was composed to make a simpler and more static image.  The only movement I wanted to portray was one that went straight to the Earth image.  Furthermore, the line of v’s pointing straight down and lying in the center along with the image of the shooting star really bring the eye down to Earth

Magnetism

Asymmetry was used to add weight to one side.  I wanted one side to have all the attractive force of a magnet.  The correspondence of the arrows between the small dots suggests like qualities in these forms, like the metals attracted to a magnet would have.  The repetition of the dots adds to the overall attractive force of the larger image of the magnetic poles.  Furthermore, a proximity was established between the arrow dots and only one end of the magnetic pole image to express the central idea behind magnetism.   Objects are magnetized by possessing opposite charges.  Naturally, these same dots couldn’t be in close proximity to the other pole 

Buoyancy

Framing was used specifically with the text on this page layout.  The word Buoyancy is cut off at the top of the page to make it appear like the missing part is floating above the page and the part the viewer sees is submerged onto the page.  Symmetry was established with the image of the buoy to avoid suggesting any other movement than an upward one.  Two compound shapes come from the bottom of the page and swirl and push the buoy upward while the rest of the blue circles behind these shapes undergo a repetition to express the density of water.  The negative space of these shapes also suggest a body of water with there wave like tips that point up and down.  Finally, the layering of the swirls pushing upward and the rest of the body of water allow a clear upward movement to be seen.  The compound shape pops out and pushes up 

Waves

The framing of this layout congests the image and make the viewer feel really close to what’s going on in the composition.  Most waves aren’t visible and require close examination to understand.  This composition suggests this same idea of a close examination with its tight frame.  Asymmetry is used to establish an origin and a better movement for the waves as they start on the left and flow to the right (and right to left for the text).  The scale difference between each wave suggests a dimensionality so that these waves can really flow in all directions.  A continuation off the page allows the viewer to imagine that these waves extend past the book and flow on indefinitely.  A compound shape was created to symbolize the shapes of waves and the repetition of this shape expresses the constant up and down flow of all waves.

Elasticity

An alignment and symmetry was established in the compound shape for this layout so that the shape didn’t have a concentration of weight or a movement to either side.  This shape stays dead center and is pulled up and down and stretched into a thin line.  Framing is used to suggest a close study of elasticity.  It invites one to question the molecular concept of an elastic object as do the dots making the compound shape.  

Tension

The alignment in the set of rope images is essential because any rope undergoing tension will be pulled straight between the two opposing forces.  Tension suggests a tightness that won’t really move.  

Friction

Framing was used in this layout as in the Waves and Elasticity layouts.  The two dominating gray circles are cropped and given a compressed feel to invite one to think on the molecular level.  The viewer is then showed a stark contrast with the white circle and the yellow image inside.  This layered compound shape is layered on top of where the two gray circles meet so that the contact between them appears to be magnified.  This magnified area suggests a scraping and friction between the two circles that can actually be seen.  Asymmetry is used to show a better movement between the two large circles.  The weight on each side but not equal is size or position and suggest a shift occurring.  A negative space was used between half circle of yellow to create the jagged forms that bump into and resist each other.  

Acceleration

The compound shapes were aligned to show them as a compound shape and one group.  Each shape is composed of circles that get larger from the left of the page to right.  Asymmetry was used to show an increase in motion on the right side of the page.  The scale of the dots in each compound shape suggest a movement from the left to the right to further enforce an acceleration from the left side to the right.  

Rotation

The globes are aligned and in close proximity to establish a sequence of events.  A scaling was used on the little blue dots so that they could act as points on the globe.  The dot and comes back again and falls into the same place as the blue dot in the bottom left globe.  The path of the globes continues off the page to suggest a continued and never ending rotation. Repetition was used to show a sequence of images.

 

A formal approach to these dot compositions allowed each student to express the words for their theme in a more interesting way.  We were given limits on how to express these ideas, and through this deprivation we were able to come up with appealing forms made from many dots.  Approaching them formally allowed us to look past the shapes as just dots or circles.  We had to rack our brains for thumbnails and ideas and through this process each student should have learned how to communicate better in an abstract, visual, and sometimes conceptual way.  

Most images I used suggested science in one way or another.  Many textures were used to create gradations and probably make up the most kinds of images I used.  These textures generally created a great movement on the pages they were used on.  Since I was dealing with Physics, this movement was vital.  Most of Physics is based on movement so these images were ideal.  The background also helped the compositions move.  The background for the entire book is one continuous grid that twists and turns and matches up on the edge of each page.  The grid flows from one page to another to further symbolize this needed movement that exists in physics.  Most of the images, including the warped grids, suggest science.  They, along with the compositions tend to appear similar to diagrams and  charts.  The color also speaks science.  Blue is a color usually related to wisdom and intelligence and is also frequently used to symbolize science classes.  Gray is a dull and boring color and when gradated into the blue hue on the front cover causes the blue to become a dull and boring color.

My main concept for the appearance of the book was to make look and feel like a physics textbook.  I used a gloss paper and a sturdy boardfor the cover which almost every physics textbook (any textbook really) I’ve come across uses.  The cover is simple and somewhat dull, which some people correlate to science in general.  All the pages maintain a good smoothness and the grids further enforce this idea of physics.

If there was anything I would have done differently it would have been to have been constantly finding images and cutting them throughout the whole course of the project.  Doing them all at once is pretty repetitive and discouraging.  Also, had I known the background grids would have taken so long to make and print, I may have avoided using them all together.  Also the back and front cover pages were printed using ink on gloss so the ink smeared very badly in both cases.  I would just simply use a laser printer next time.

Emotions from Colors

bright red 186-Positive-love, passion, comfort, warmth, excitement, cheerfulness, ecstasy 
Negative-hate, anger, violent, betrayal, fear, disappointment, frustration, 

vibrant orange1585-Positive-relaxed, comfort, calm, meditative, quiet, joy, triumph, content, excitement  Negative-frustration, jealousy, envy, hostility

bright yellow 116-Positive-Joy, Intelligent, helpful, careful, hopeful, observant 
Negative-cowardice, lazy, annoying, restlessness, nervous

earth brown 438-Positive-accepting, generous, helpful, encouraging, welcoming 
Negative-despair, hopelessness, solitude, bored, disappointment, stagnant, ignorance

deep blue 2747-Positive-loyalty, comfort, calm, wisdom, strength, determination, encouraging, masculine 
Negative-lost, hopeless, depression, arrogant

chartreuse green 584-Positive-friendly, witty, clever, quirky, surprised 
Negative-annoying, sinister, deceived, 

blue purple 267-Positive- success, reassured, certain, wisdom, confidence, generous 
Negative-arrogance, narcissism, forced, cramped, 

charcoal gray 425-Positive-relaxed, calming, resolute, wholeness, peaceful 
Negative-depression, despair, hopeless, useless, disappointment , lost, aimless

white-Positive-peace, hope, morale, anticipation,joy 
Negative-emptiness, solitude, 

black-Positive-openness, sturdy, strength, capable, expansive, inquisitive 
Negative-loneliness, hate, grief, fear, uncertainty, hopeless, timid, nervous